INFANT'S DEATH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 85, 31 July 1942, Page 5

INFANT'S DEATH

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST

.LACK OF MEDICAL ATTENTION

An inquest into the cause of death of a year-old male infant, Wi Haumata, who died on June 30th at his parents home at Ruatoki was held before Mr G. Brabant, District Coroner, in the Whakatane Courthouse yesterday.

Dr. A. W. Fletcher-Cole deposed having gone to lluatoki and seen the body of the child, and later having carried out a post mortem examination. As a result he concluded that the child had died of toxic

poisoning pleurisy and pneumonia. In answer to the coroner Avitness said that the usual treatment of such cases was to drain the septic condition from the side, with the result that in most cases a cure resulted. Had the child' been given the benefit of medical attention this could have been done with the possibility it being alive to-day.

Evidence of the child's parents •showed that after repeated attempts to contact the district nurse at Taneatua they had brought the child into Whakatane to a Mrs Kunac who had told them that it was very ill and had prescribed caster oil and orange juice and suggested it should be taken home immediately. The child had died next day.

Elizabeth Kuna.i of Whakatane said that she did not know the Maori woman who brought her child to her and complained that, it had a bad cold. She had advised her that the child was seriously ill and should be taken home at once, and the District Nurse advised. She had suggested caster oil and orange juice. The woman bad departed in a taxi, after saving that she had tried already to get the nurse. She knew of no reason why the woman should bring her child to her unless she had been advised to by other Maoris she had treated.

Questioned by the Coroner, she -admitted that she had no medical • qualifications but had had a lot ol cxjjerience attending to sick people. -She never at any time charged for •anything she did to help theln-

"I know that amongst the Maoris there is often an idea that some person can do them good wlion thej' are in suffering, said the Coroner -addressing the last witness. "They therefore dodge the doctors and the District Nurse, in spite of the fact that the scrvice is free, and go to somebody who is not- qualified. You have no right to give advice and I should think that in future you would be well advised to tell these people to go.and see a doctor. We know you don't charge anything but the temptation may be to accept something that they might wish to give you. It is alright if the patient gets well —nothing is said; but when a person dies then there is a lot to be said about it."

The finding was that the child died of toxic poisoning in keeping with the medical evidence adduced.